Optical networks are becoming increasingly common because of the extremely wide bandwidth that can be supported by optical transmission techniques. Many, if not most, optical networks utilize wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) or dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) in order to maximize the amount of information that can be transported over the network per unit time (i.e., data bandwidth). Like all information networks, switching or routing devices are provided in the network to direct signals between nodes of the network to assure that information originated at a first node (e.g., a server node) and intended for a second node (e.g., a client node) is routed through the network from the first node to the intended second node. Switching and routing of signals on optical networks is commonly achieved using filters and optical routing components such as, fixed optical add-drop multiplexers (fixed OADMs), reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexers (ROADMs), and/or optical cross-connectors (OXCs). These types of routing devices, particularly ROADMs, are popular because they are extremely flexible in routing ability. However, they are relatively expensive because, among other reasons, they are relatively complex and incorporate active optical elements.
Furthermore, it is difficult to alter a network after it has been set up using such components. For instance, there are several standard wavelength grids in common use in DWDM optical networks, including 200 GHz, 100 GHz and 50 GHz grids. Each of these standards defines a grid of wavelengths for DWDM within a portion of the visible light spectrum (e.g., C band). For instance, the 200 GHz grid defines a grid of 22 wavelengths for DWDM at spacings of 200 GHz in C band, the 100 GHz grid defines a grid of 44 wavelengths for DWDM at spacings of 100 GHz in C band, and the 50 GHz grid defines a grid of 88 wavelengths for DWDM at spacings of 50 GHz in C band. As technology improves, the wavelengths on which different data signals may be transported are likely to become increasingly densely packed. It is envisioned that wavelength density in DWDM optical networks will continue to increase and that practical networks soon will be able to be implemented with 25 GHz and even denser spacing.
Fixed OADMs have a colored structure, wherein each port is associated with a particular wavelength. Therefore, to change the wavelengths used in an existing network built using fixed OADMs would potentially require replacement of some or all of the fixed OADMs in the network, which is an expensive proposition to the point of being impractical in many cases. ROADMs, on the other hand, can be reconfigured remotely to alter their wavelength characteristics to work with different wavelengths. However, ROADMs have a banded structure, meaning that, while each port can be reconfigured to any wavelength, the wavelength spacing is still fixed. Thus, a change in the grid spacing in a ROADM-based network would require replacement of all of the ROADMs. Furthermore, even if only the wavelengths, but not the spacings, are to be altered in a network built with ROADMs, very detailed planning is required.
Even further, ROADMs employ a channel filter for each wavelength/port. These channel filters introduce loss and signal distortion, thus limiting the number of ROADMs that a signal may pass through before it is too attenuated and/or distorted to be adequately detected at a receiver.
Nortel Networks has developed an optical networking platform that relies on coherent detection of specific wavelengths in which receivers on the network are able to tune into particular frequencies without the need for optical filters. Accordingly, a fiber in a DWDM network bearing different signals on different wavelengths can be coupled directly to a receiver employing coherent detection, and the receiver is able to pick out data on a particular wavelength without the need for a channel filter.
For further explanation of coherent detection and, particularly, the proprietary coherent detection scheme developed by Nortel Networks, reference can be had to an number of resources, such as Sun, H. et al, Real-time measurement of a 40 Gb/s coherent system, Optics Express, Vol. 16 No. 2, Jan. 21, 2008 and Nelson, L. E. et al., Performance of a 46-Gbps dual-polarization QPSK, Conference Paper, Optical Fiber Communication Conference (OFC), San Diego, Calif., Feb. 24, 2008.